The combination of Gulzar’s lyrics and Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s music is adequately ghostly.

In Lekin (1991), Gulzar’s lyrics and Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s music map the vast terrain of love, loss, loneliness and memory. The vocabulary is alternately sparse and lush, much like the desert and palaces of Rajasthan that dominate the landscape of the film, starring starring Dimple Kapadia and Vinod Khanna.

Past and current lives and destinies and journeys intertwine and often collide in a film about a soul stuck in a time warp and roaming the ruins and sand dunes, awaiting liberation. The music follows, with Rajasthani folk tunes enhanced and embellished by Gulzar’s poetry and the komalswars of Maand, Todi and the rarely performed Vihangini, all lending pathos and mystery, the essential elements of the film.

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‘Yaara Seeli Seeli’.

Yaara Seeli Seeli is probably the most popular song from the film, also winning National Awards for playback singing (Lata Mangeshkar) and lyrics. In a twisted tribute to the unusual lyrics, we have a film, no less, called Yaara Silly Silly (2015), with no connection to anything in the song. Enough to outrage a true-blue Gulzar fan and demand poster burnings and public apologies, in tune with the times. But luckily, all admirers have stayed put. And the inane film title is probably just proof of the fact that Yaara Seeli Seeli endures in the public imagination. The slow burning of a lonely night captured beautifully by “seeli seeli” is followed by the singer hitting the high notes for ‘Ye bhi koi jeena hai?’, pure anguish, ending with the despairing ‘Ye bhi koi marna…’

Haunting music is generally associated with closed, cavernous places, and Lekin has plenty of cobwebbed halls in which a restless spirit can wander. But there’s probably no other film in which the sound of loneliness echoes in a sprawling, empty desert. Main Ek Sadi Se has a Khayyam-like sweep – violins play manically as the protagonist races futilely across the dunes, escaping ghosts of her own. The regal notes of a sarangi and the dull rhythm of a ghatam accompany her back to the ruins that hold and imprison her,a bleakness that she surveys endlessly.

Online conversations by YouTube watchers refer to the song’s parallels with Dinanath Mangeshkar’sBhali Chandra Ase Dharila, a Marathi natyasangeet numberfrom his theatrical production Maanapmaan, and there is certainly a hint of the inspiration that Hridaynath may have derived from his father’s composition, even though the genre is completely different.

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‘Main Ek Sadi Se’.

Suniyo Ji is based on a Hindustani classical bandish by Pandit Mani Prasad in Vihangini, a raag close to Bhopali or Deshkar – depending on your approach to the distinction between the two – but with a nishaad (‘Ni’) added. The overall effect is upbeat. The song soars and falls dramatically, spanning the three octaves. The lyrics refer to the loneliness of a young bride, but here we have a young woman in a castle dungeon, pining for home, her “parched eyes” recalling the memory of rain and a time gone by.

Ja Ja Re is a guru-shishya moment in the film, performed by the Mangeshkar brother-sister duo, set to Gurjari Todi, one of the more sombre raags. The orchestration is sparse, with only a tanpura and tabla, as in a practice session. If anyone wanted to imagine how the practice sessions in the Mangeshkar household might have been like, the example is probably here.

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‘Ja Ja Re’.

Gulzar can also turn out a nifty thumri. Joothe Naina, set to Bilaskhani Todi, is performed with characteristic flamboyance and precise enunciation by Asha Bhosle. The lyricist, who swears by such precision, has explained elsewhere that the first word is in fact ‘joothe’ (used/‘tasted by someone else’), and not ‘jhoote’ (false/fake) as some listeners had thought. Classical vocalist Satyasheel Deshpande provides the alaap in the prelude and a superb taraana at the end.

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‘Joothe Naina’.

If it’s Rajasthan, raag Maand can’t be far behind. And we get a double helping of Kesariya Balma – one is a fast-flowing version with surprising santoor riffs, the other, a more sedate contemplation of what it’s like to be a lost soul. “Na mil payi, nabichhdi main, kaiso ye sanjog re…”

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‘Kesariya Balma’.

Surmai Shaam is about the search for that lost soul. Isn’t it always at dusk that memories, longing and unexplained sorrows converge? In that eerie half-light, as the shadows disappear, there is a presence that “brushes past me like a fragrance”. No footsteps anywhere, but it feels like you’re here.

Why should inclusion matter to companies?

It's not just about goodwill - inclusivity is a good business decision.

To reach a 50-50 workplace scenario, policies on diversity need to be paired with a culture of inclusiveness. While diversity brings equal representation in meetings, board rooms, promotions and recruitment, inclusivity helps give voice to the people who might otherwise be marginalized or excluded. Inclusion at workplace can be seen in an environment that values diverse opinions, encourages collaboration and invites people to share their ideas and perspectives. As Verna Myers, a renowned diversity advocate, puts it “Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Creating a sense of belonging for everyone is essential for a company’s success. Let’s look at some of the real benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace:

Better decision making

A whitepaper by Cloverpop, a decision making tool, established a direct link between inclusive decision making and better business performance. The research discovered that teams that followed an inclusive decision-making process made decisions 2X faster with half the meetings and delivered 60% better results. As per Harvard Business School Professor Francesca Gino, this report highlights how diversity and inclusion are practical tools to improve decision making in companies. According to her, changing the composition of decision making teams to include different perspectives can help individuals overcome biases that affect their decisions.

Higher job satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is connected to a workplace environment that values individual ideas and creates a sense of belonging for everyone. A research by Accenture identified 40 factors that influence advancement in the workplace. An empowering work environment where employees have the freedom to be creative, innovative and themselves at work, was identified as a key driver in improving employee advancement to senior levels.

Innovation

A research by Catalyst.org stated the in India, 62% of innovation is driven by employee perceptions of inclusion. The study included responses from 1,500 employees from Australia, China, Germany, India, Mexico and the United States and showed that employees who feel included are more likely to go above and beyond the call of duty, suggest new and innovative ways of getting work done.

Competitive Advantage

Shirley Engelmeier, author of ‘Inclusion: The New Competitive Business Advantage’, in her interview with Forbes, talks about the new global business normal. She points out that the rapidly changing customer base with different tastes and preferences need to feel represented by brands. An inclusive environment will future-proof the organisation to cater to the new global consumer language and give it a competitive edge.

An inclusive workplace ensures that no individual is disregarded because of their gender, race, disability, age or other social and cultural factors. Accenture has been a leading voice in advocating equal workplace. Having won several accolades including a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate equality index, Accenture has demonstrated inclusive and diverse practices not only within its organisation but also in business relationships through their Supplier Inclusion and Diversity program.

In a video titled ‘She rises’, Accenture captures the importance of implementing diverse policies and creating an inclusive workplace culture.